The Fryer Administration
by Dreamscapes Symphonic
Summary: Sequel to My Fellow Americans It's been 6 months since terrorists blew up the Capitol Building during the State of the Union address. Now President Fryer and his staff are trying to get back on their feet, both politically and personally after the tragedy
1. Default Chapter

Hey! Welcome to the long-promised sequel to My Fellow Americans. Everybody's great reviews at the end of the original really inspired me to do the best I can with this one and I hope it lives up to your expectations. It's going to be more mundane than the first. Basically they are trying to get the White House up and running again while at the same time come to terms with what happened. This first chapter is unbetaed due to the fact that I'm pretty sure my beta reader is somewhere in DC right now. So I apologize for any mistakes. Also, I decided not to put in the dates and times when all the events occur this time. It just gets too confusing and I am easily confused. Another also, updates may not be as frequent as they were last time. I'm having a booger of a time getting this written. I'm having fun with it and I've got the outline, but it's just tough to write. And I'm also working on an original story at the same time. So sorry in advance about that.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. How I wish it were, though you may not agree with me after the way I've treated them. I'm not making any profit off of this.  
  
Chapter 1/10  
  
CJ was waiting by Debbie's desk, drumming her fingers listlessly on her wheelchair. Charlie was sitting at his desk typing. "He'll just be another minute." He told CJ, "He just has to finish up with Corin."  
  
CJ nodded, picking up a newspaper from the pouch she'd fitted to the side of the chair. The special elections for new senators and representatives had ended about three weeks earlier and they were going to be in session soon.  
  
It was now mid-July, six months after that horrible night when the Capitol Building had been blown up by terrorists during the State of the Union. Of all the people attending, only about hundred of them had survived. Of the White House staff those hundred included only her and Josh. The President and the rest of the senior staff had all been killed. For months the country had been in mourning and it still was, but now it was time to get back to work.  
  
Former Secretary of Education/Current President of the United States Bill Fryer opened the office door. "Hey CJ." He said, beckoning her in.  
  
She wheeled herself in and stopped in front of his desk. After five months Fryer had finally gotten up the nerve to sit in what he still thought of as Jed Bartlet's seat. He sat down and faced her. "I was just talking to George Corin." He said, "Can you believe the gall of that man? He calls me up and makes an appointment to discuss God-knows-what and instead campaigns for my Cabinet. Honestly! I would have chosen him if I liked him." He shook his head. "Anyway, the reason I called you. Have you seen the cartoons?"  
  
"The ones about—"  
  
"My daughter." He took out a newspaper and slapped it down on the desk. He flipped through it to the Opinions page. The cartoon showed the First Lady, Christina Fryer, in a diaper and bonnet, sitting behind a desk with a plaque that read First Lady and a stack of papers with finger-paint splattered all over them.  
  
"I want those stopped." Fryer said.  
  
"Freedom of the press, sir." CJ said, "I can't do that."  
  
"I'm not asking you to order them too." Fryer said, "I know the Bill of Rights, CJ. But what if you offered them an exclusive with the First Lady. Show the idiots at this paper what she's really like."  
  
"Good idea, sir." CJ said, cringing inside. It was a horrible idea. It would seem like they were desperate to get her some good publicity. "I'll offer it after my briefing this afternoon."  
  
"Good. Thank you."  
  
"Anything else, sir?"  
  
"No. You can leave."  
  
  
  
"How are we possibly at forty-three percent?" Josh demanded.  
  
"He hasn't done anything." Kenny replied, translating Joey's rapid signs. "He needs to do something big."  
  
"What, rebuilding the government wasn't enough?"  
  
"It's been six months. We've had the elections, everything is back up. You need to take a stance on something, show the people that he's not a pushover."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I don't know! You're his Chief of Staff, not me! Talk about it. What bills are being proposed?"  
  
"No idea."  
  
"Find out. Then support one."  
  
Josh looked at his watch. "I've got Senior Staff right now." He said, "Thanks for coming."  
  
"I'll put out another poll. See what issues are most important right now."  
  
"Yes. Thanks."  
  
Joey and Kenny left just as the staff filed in. Donna was first, entering with a look of disgust on her face, obviously directed at his new assistant. Then CJ and the new Communications Director, Gary Freeman. Lastly came the new Deputy Communications Director, David Calloway. They positioned themselves in their now-usual seats.  
  
Job approval's down to forty-three percent." Josh told them, "That's five points in a month. The public wants us to do something."  
  
"Wasn't—"Donna began, but Josh cut her off.  
  
"That's what I said. But according to Joey, it's time to take a stance on something."  
  
"Like what?" David asked. He was a lanky twenty-seven year old former creative writing teacher from Berkley. He didn't have very much experience in politics, but his writing skills were renowned throughout the American education system.  
  
"What bills are being proposed?" Josh asked.  
  
"They're going all at it." Donna said. "There's one on censorship on television, one about smoking in public, one on college tuition costs, campaign finance reform—"  
  
"That's it!" Josh said, "Campaign finance! Do you have the exact wording of the bill?"  
  
"I don't think they have the exact wording of the bill."  
  
"Who's 'they'?"  
  
"Edward Bruger, Senator from New Mexico."  
  
"Democrat?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Is he for or against?"  
  
"For."  
  
"Good. So are we. Set up a meeting with Bruger and his staff. Get to work on the writing. Tell him he has the full support of the White House."  
  
"One thing." Gary said.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How does the President feel about campaign finance reform?"  
  
"He supports it."  
  
"Have you talked to him about it?"  
  
"Well, no."  
  
"We should probably at least mention it to him. It wouldn't be a good idea for the White House to pledge its full support if the President doesn't agree with the bill."  
  
"You're right. Donna, still set up the meeting, but don't pledge full support. But Gary, I'm pretty sure I'm right."  
  
Donna's cough sounded suspiciously like it was covering a laugh. Josh decided he didn't want to go down that road. "CJ, what do you have today?"  
  
"Briefings and a meeting with Vanderbilt."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Seating on Air Force One."  
  
"Fun. Donna?"  
  
"Meetings."  
  
"David?"  
  
"I'm writing the speech for the Daughters of the American Revolution luncheon."  
  
"Gary?"  
  
"Meeting with the Senators from Massachusetts."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure, honestly."  
  
"Godspeed. We're done."  
  
CJ wheeled herself out, talking to Gary about her briefing. Then Donna left. As she passed Willa's desk, she shot the oblivious assistant a look that could have melted stone. Then David left. As he watched the younger man leave, Josh suddenly remembered that there had been a typo in the Daughters Chapter leader's name.  
  
"Sam!" he called, shuffling the papers on his desk to find the name. "Sam, wait up!"  
  
As David hesitantly turned around, Josh realized what he'd just done.  
  
"Yes sir?"  
  
"There's a – Never mind. Go."  
  
"David hurried out. Josh sat down at what he still thought of as Leo's desk, his knees shaking. How had he just done the one thing he'd sworn he'd never do?  
  
TBC...  
  
  
  
Since this is chapter one and there's no reviews for it (yet, right? Haha), I'm going to respond to some of the reviews I got for the last chapter of My Fellow Americans.  
  
Alasse- I had trouble deciding who to kill off when I was first planning the story, whether it would be Josh or Sam. I settled on Josh because I love him and he could add some interesting interactions (try saying that 3 times fast) with the other people. Because he's got the brain capacity of frozen yogurt. Just kidding. ducks mob of furious Josh fans  
  
Bartlegg – I wish I was one of the writers for a season finale. Here's what the first lines would be:  
  
Enter SAM, stage right.  
SAM: Hello everyone! I'm back for good.  
  
Anonymouscritic – Mook.  
  
Vampedme – Thank you for reviewing. I appreciate constructive criticism, but I really could have done without the sarcasm. Some of your complaints were legitimate; others would have been answered later in the story. I don't know very much about bombs and other explosives, but I'm trying to be realistic as I can. Please keep in mind that I'm only a high school student trying to have a little fun in my off time by writing this.  
  
Witezon – The vice president was at the State of the Union. They found his body along with I think the First Lady's and Fitz.  
  
AEM1 – Thanks. I hope I lived up to your expectations.  
  
Sunset – Thank you. I try my best but it does come out a little awkwardly sometimes.  
  
Mayachild – There is indeed a sequel and I hope you enjoy it. This is going to be the only sequel though, as you'll be able to tell later. I don't want it to turn into Land Before Time: The West Wing version.  
  
Lady Myranel – I thought about that too. I hope I don't ruin my first story with a sequel. I'll do my best, but if I get reviews saying stop, I'll leave it where it stands.  
  
TheRealMcCoy – Both! Though I'm going to be taking a break from West Wing for a little while after this. I'll come back, but I really don't want to get burned out.  
  
Ryanne – There will be a little bit about Brandy and her hero in this...  
  
Pendray – Thank you very much for the lovely compliments.  
  
Amy Rose – Thank you for your luck. I ranged between an A and a C- on the finals! But my Geometry was a take-home that took me several days, so I did not have a chance to start this during it. So there is probably less Geometry brain fry (love the term AEM1!) in this one.  
  
Lexi Lyman – Come home soon and let me know if this chapter sucked. And you well better get to work on that story! (  
  
Laurie Beth – Donna and Willa go at it? Ooh, great idea. grabs pen and starts scribbling furiously There's definitely going to be something with them in here.  
  
Glacier-daughter – I'm not an ABBA fan so I haven't heard that song but I'm making up a tune and it's getting stuck in my head. Grr...heehee.  
  
Bartlet4america19 – Yeah, I guess he was there. In sort of a supernatural way. Thank you for the compliment. I'm at loss for words. (shoot. Haha)  
  
Yeah, that's all of them, I think. Sorry if I missed you. You can yell at me in a review.  
  
See ya... 


	2. chapter 2

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this posted. And I'm sorry to say that it's going to be a little while until my next update. Next Saturday I'm going away for two weeks. I'll try to post another chapter before then, but no promises. And when I get back I have a week, then band camp, then school starts. And I still have my summer reading to do and scales to learn, so updates may be a bit erratic for a little while. So I apologize in advance.  
  
This one's dedicated to my beta reader, Lex Luther, for putting up with me.  
  
Disclaimer: See chapter 1 (I think) Chapter 2  
  
Gary shuffled through the papers the senators had given him. The meeting had lasted over two hours and he still didn't know what it had been about. Now he had to go write up a response to it.  
  
Somebody was sitting in his office. Great, he thought, just what I need. Another meeting. Ginger must've set it up and forgot to tell me.  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Gary said as he walked in, "I had this thing and—"  
  
"No one was there. Gary blinked but the chair remained empty. He stepped outside. "Bonnie, did someone just leave here?" he asked.  
  
"No." Bonnie replied, "Nobody's been in here."  
  
Gary thanked her and closed his door. Maybe he'd just been seeing things. Yeah, that was it. He was just tired and his eyes were playing tricks on him. But he had been almost positive he'd seen someone. Oh well.  
  
He sat down at his desk and spread the papers out. He'd been working for about ten minutes when it felt like, well, like someone was angry. It was so strange. It was like when you're sitting next to someone who's angry and the angriness radiates off of them, he realized. Gary kept working but after a little while it completely unnerved him and he decided that a walk sounded really good.  
  
  
  
"Donna did you...what the hell is that?"  
  
Donna looked up from her computer to see Josh standing in her doorway, staring at her wall with an expression of deep disgust.  
  
"It's called art, Joshua."  
  
"No, that's most definitely not art. I know art. That is crap."  
  
"You don't know anything about art. It's a painting. I like it."  
  
Josh examined the painting, vainly trying to find what made it appeal to Donna. He couldn't find it.  
  
"It's abstract." Donna said.  
  
"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen."  
  
"Did you have a reason for coming here?"  
  
"Actually, I did. Did you arrange that meeting?"  
  
"Bruger? I did. I'll talk to him tomorrow."  
  
"Great. We need this."  
  
He looked around the room and shook his head. "What have you done to this place?"  
  
Donna looked around too. She really hadn't changed his office all that much when she moved in. aside from the painting and the absence of his clutter, it looked the same.  
  
"Oh, by the way," Josh said, "I think it's time you got an assistant."  
  
Donna hadn't even thought about that. She realized that for once he may be right. Her work load was getting a little heavy to do alone.  
  
"I have some names," he continued, "if you're interested."  
  
"Thanks." Donna said. "I'll check them out."  
  
"They will never bring you coffee."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Willa brings me coffee."  
  
"Willa has a few things to work out."  
  
Josh turned to leave. He took one last look at the painting, shook his head, and left.  
  
  
  
Fiona Jeremy took a swig of Diet Coke as she watched the crane park by the lot where the Capitol Building had once been. They were preparing to begin rebuilding. Fiona had heard about it on the news and decided to come check out the preparations. She was spending her summer here, interning at the Washington Post.  
  
The crane was one of ten. Then there were dozens of dump trucks and bulldozers. They weren't building yet, wouldn't start for a few weeks. Fiona didn't know why they had all the machinery there already but she was glad to see it. It meant that they were actually doing something.  
  
She took a last sip of her Coke and tucked it into her bag. It was time for work. She was working at a video store to pay for the room she was renting in Rosslyn. DC rates were just too high but this one was no bargain either.  
  
As she walked down the street she passed a bookstore. In the window there was a display of new books. Among them was Bartlet For America by Danny Concannon. She was planning to buy that after work. Danny worked at the Post and she'd met him a few times. She'd also read some very good reviews about the book.  
  
The President's motorcade passed by. Fiona watched, wondering if CJ was in any of the passing limos. She really hoped to see CJ this summer.  
  
CJ looked out the window as the limo drove down the street. She noticed a familiar figure standing on the curb, watching the motorcade pass. It was Fiona. CJ waved, then remembered that the windows were tinted. It would be very undignified if she pounded on the window to get her attention so, disappointed, CJ sat back in her seat and continued her conversation with Gary. She'd find a way to talk to Fiona later.  
  
TBC  
  
Shadowesque13 – Congrats on getting your own pen name. Definitely post some West Wing fics. And thank you for offering to beta, but my beta returned. It seemed like an episode? That's one of the best compliments I've ever received. Thank you.  
  
Lexi Lyman – She's back. Oh joy. Haha. Yes, Josh will be somewhat traumatized, but he'll be okay too.  
  
Bartlegg – I'm going to do my best. I'm terrified. Thanks for the support.  
  
Cait – Thanks.  
  
AEM1 – I heard too that they are going to have this be the last year of the administration if not necessarily the last year of the show. So there's going to be no holds barred. I really hope they improve, though I'm curious to find out what will happen. I'm betting Sam's going to return and run for president. They've been foreshadowing that for about 3 seasons now.  
  
WhiteCamellia – You too, congratulations on registering. You're going to have to post some stories so that I can read them and become the ominous music playing Reviewer From Hell!! Bwahaha! Thank you for the compliment. I'm doing my best to write a good story. Mainly so that I don't wake up to a mob with torches and pitchforks busting into my house some night.  
  
Snowbear96 – Thanks. I hope you liked the update.  
  
And I'm off. See you all soon. 


	3. chapter 3

A/N: I'm home again, this chapter is beta-ed and all is well. While I was away, I finished writing this in my notebook. There are ten chapters in all and I'll hopefully (no promises here) have it all posted by the end of October. But there's also marching band and that pesky school thing, so I don't know.

Chapter 3

Inside the Deputy Communications Director's office, David Calloway stood up and stretched. He'd been working on this speech for four solid hours and his eyes were about to ooze out of his head. Time to take a break. Maybe go down to the mess and get a muffin.

He passed through the Communications bullpen toward Donna's office. After working there for three months, David had a pretty good idea where the mess was but it would be a good excuse to go talk to the Deputy Chief of Staff.

She was just getting off the phone as he came in. "Hey Dave!" she said, flashing him a smile.

Suddenly his throat was too dry. "H-hi." He choked out.

"You need something?"

"The mess. I forgot—"

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm just taking a break." He revised quickly, not wanting to sound like an idiot. Then, remembering that she was his boss, added, "A quick break."

"Oh."

He leaned against the wall, casting around for conversation. "Nice painting."

Why did she start cracking up when he said that? "So..." he was running out of ideas, "Want to go get a muffin?"

"I can't." she said, "I've got all this to do."

"Oh okay. Want me to bring you up one?"

"No thank you."

He left. After he turned the corner he smacked his head with his fist repeatedly. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid. Could he have come off any dorkier? He felt like a geeky high school freshman trying to get the senior prom queen.

Back in her office Donna didn't know whether to laugh or cry. David's talk about muffins had brought back memories of an eccentric (to say the least) redhead she'd loved like a sister.

"Hey CJ."

CJ wheeled into Josh's office holding a piece of paper. "Hey," she said, "I was wondering if you'd seen this."

"What's 'this'?"

"Apparently they're discussing plans to build a memorial for everyone who was-was killed at the State of the Union. A monument."

"No, I didn't hear that." Josh said, "Find out about it."

"Alright. And I have to leave early. Doctor."

"And I need to know, why?"

"Right. Just thought I should..."

The door opened and Willa came in. "I've got Bruger on line three." She said.

"Thanks." Josh said, "Bye CJ. Good luck."

"Bye."

As CJ wheeled past Willa's desk, the assistant sat down, pulled out a Newsweek and began reading. But CJ could see a corner of Cosmo peeking out.

Wow, she thought, Willa, whether Donna rips you apart or you get sacked, your days here are numbered.

"Ms. Cregg, I'd like to talk to you."

The doctor sat down in her chair so that she was face to face with CJ.

"As you can see, the bones are fully healed. But there is still severe damage to your muscles and nerves throughout your lower back and thighs. The muscles can be improved with therapy and time but we're not so optimistic about the nerves. A beam must have landed on your back or something because the damage to your spinal cord is extensive."

"But it can be fixed, right?"

The doctor was grim. "I can't say anything for sure but it is not likely that you'll be able to walk again."

CJ opened her apartment door and made her way inside, the doctor's words still ringing in her ears. "It's not likely you'll ever be able to walk again."

No. She had to. She had to be able to stroll into the press room and command order. She needed to tower over Josh and intimidate him into making smart choices. She needed to be able to jump up and down and dance and celebrate with the rest of them when things went right.

They were wrong. She could walk. She just needed to work at it. She reached down and moved both her feet onto the floor. Then she gripped the sides of the chair and rose shakily to her feet.

Her legs collapsed and she fell, hitting her lip on the chair. She wiped the blood with her hand, then pulled herself onto the sofa and cried.

TBC

Lexi Lyman – Yes, I know you did, but I appreciate you reviewing again all the same. And to show my appreciation, drum roll please...A LIFETIME SUPPLY OF BOLOGNA LOLLIPOPS!!! And no, not a Bartlet ghost in the Oval Office but...

WhiteCamellia – I'd heard rumors about it. I've also heard that it's going to be the last year of the administration but not necessarily of the show. But I can't think of what they would do afterward. It's sad but hey, look on the bright side. They need to tie up all the loose ends. We may even (gasp!) find out what happened to Sam. Rob Lowe's new Dr. Vegas show looks really bad so there may be a chance he'll come back. There's kind of a funny story involving that that if you can stand to read me jabber any longer I'll tell you. My mom, who is also a big WW fan, was watching TV one day and I was in the next room on the computer with the door open. She yelled into me, "Nooo, Sam come back! Mandy, Sam Seaborn's got another new show and it looks really bad. Come back to the West Wing Sam!"

Yes, I admit it. My name is Mandy. Please don't hold that against me.

Shadowesque13 – Perhaps. And no, Josh hasn't really changed anything. It may be a bit messier than Leo had it, but it is still basically in tact. And Fiona will return. She has a kind of medium-sized part in this story near the end. And I guess I could have used the time to plot and plan but not write, but being the twitchy little rabbit that I am I finished the story. I think it improves at chapter 5. That's when I started writing again after I'd had a rest and I think the quality has improved from there.

Pendray – Well, no more federal buildings are going to blow up, but interesting things will occur. I'll update as frequently as I can.

Laurie Beth – Yes, I will be exploring how the two of them have been effected by their losses and injuries in later chapters. Chapter 6 especially deals with that. And I'm glad that you and other people like Fiona. I'm always kind of wary when I invent new characters, especially young women. I don't have to worry about someone like Fryer turning into a Mary Sue but people like Fiona and Christina I have to be careful with. So thanks for taking to her.

Bartlegg – Thank you. That was just what I needed to hear. I've been worrying about trying to live up to the response to My Fellow Americans and whether or not this was good enough and it was stressing me some so I really appreciate what you told me. You're absolutely right. But now you know that the next few chapters will involve aliens marrying CJ, Mary Sues up the wazoo and all other lousy plot devices. Heehee, just kidding. Yeah...

Love to everyone who reviewed. I know I say it a lot but you guys rock beyond comprehension. See you soon. To everyone who's starting school soon or already has, good luck and remember that the boring classes are where you usually think of the best ideas for fics.

Later!


	4. chapter 4

A/N: A lot of people were complaining about the lack of separation between parts in the last chapter. Yeah, that was my fault. I forgot to check it over when I uploaded it. So sorry about that, I'll fix it sometime soon, and I remembered to do it in this one. Thanks for letting me know.

CHAPTER 4

**Exclusive Interview With First Lady Christina Fryer**

On July 16, First Lady Christina Fryer sat down with The New Yorker reporter Aidan Jeffries and discussed her childhood, her father, and the attack on America that made her, at 22 years old, the youngest First Lady in American history.

**Aidan:** So tell me, how has your life changed since the State of the Union?

**Christina: **Well for starters, my father's the President. (nervous laugh) Honestly, things have changed so much that I can barely remember what life was like before. I'll find old pictures of me and my friends or read my old diaries and be like, "My God, is that really me?" A lot of the things that were so important a year ago are so trivial now. Like last summer my biggest worry was whether or not my butt looked good in a certain bathing suit. This summer it's whether or not I can change life for the better for millions of people.

**Aidan: **Do you miss your old life?

**Christina: **Everyday. Sometimes I'll be sitting in a meeting and I'll start wondering what I was doing at this time last year. But you know, I'm honored to have this responsibility. And I'll do the best I can with it.

**Aidan: **So what happened to you on the night of the State of the Union?

**Christina: **I was in my dorm at Berkley watching the speech on TV. My roommate and I were both there. She had a date that night so I was doing her hair as we watched. When the broadcast went blank we thought it was the TV, then the channel. But all the major channels were off. Then the news studio came on and they said that something had happened to disrupt their feed, but they didn't know what. We sat there for a moment waiting, then the door opened and four Secret Service agents came in. They said I had to go with them. So I followed them out to their car and they brought me to the undisclosed location.

**Aidan: **Now that it's all over, can you tell us where that is?

**Christina: **No, sorry.

**Aidan: **That's fine. So do you still keep in touch with your friends from before?

**Christina: **I try but I haven't been able to talk to anyone lately. Guys, if you're reading this, I love you all and Larry, I will kick your butt next time I see you.

**Aidan: **So how about the staff? Do you get along with your father's senior staff?

**Christina: **They're very nice people. Ms. Cregg [President Fryer's Press Secretary] helped me so much to get ready for my first few television appearances. Mr. Lyman, Dad's Chief of Staff helped me get my staff together. The new Communications guys are great too. Mr. Calloway [David Calloway, Deputy Communications Director] was actually my roommate's professor last year so we have something in common. I don't really know Mr. Freeman [Gary Freeman, Communications Director] all that well yet, but he seems like a good guy.

**Aidan: **So what about your father? Has your relationship with him changed?

**Christina: **Not really. I mean, professionally it has. We're colleagues now. But we've always been close. My mom died when I was little so he raised me alone. I love him so much and I'm really proud of him.

**Aidan: **So what do you plan to do when this is all over?

**Christina: **Go back to school. I want to get my political science degree and maybe run for Senate someday.

**Aidan: **Good luck with that.

**Christina: **Thank you.

**Aidan: **Well Christina, it was great talking to you. Best of luck with your plans for the Fryer Administration and beyond.

President Fryer came into CJ's office the day after the New Yorker came out. He was so thrilled about the article that CJ didn't have the heart to tell him that it had become a joke in the pressroom. A few papers were even offended that they would thrust this on them. They felt he was forcing them to create good publicity for his daughter.

"It's great to have such a healthy relationship with the press, CJ." Fryer said, "I heard that the papers were clambering to get this story."

"Yes sir." CJ said. And it was the truth. The papers had been after it. But not for Christina. After no one would take the story, CJ finally had to bribe them with a half an hour alone with Josh on any topic. She had to remember to let Josh know.

"Thank you CJ." Fryer said, "I think this will help."

"Thank you sir."

"Do you think they'd be interested in a follow-up?"

She had to choose her words carefully. "I don't think any time soon."

"I guess you're right. I'll see you tomorrow."

Christina shrank down in her seat. That interview had to be the most embarrassing thing she'd ever done. She knew that CJ had had to bribe the magazine to take it. And the man interviewing her had been nice but there was that coolness, that "I don't want to be here" vibe about him.

It was a pretty short article with a few pictures. One of her and the reporter talking, one of her and her father, and one of her high school graduation.

She couldn't let her father know how she felt. He had enough to worry about and he'd only been trying to help. But this interview had just solidified her reputation as an amateur and a Daddy's Girl.

She pushed aside the article and stood up. It was late. Office hours were over. She decided to go to the Residence and go to bed.

On second thought, maybe she should go apologize to CJ. And whoever she had used to bribe the reporter. It was well past nine, but CJ usually worked late.

The west wing was empty except for a single light coming from the Deputy Chief of Staff's office. Christina poked her head in the room. Donna was sitting at her desk surrounded by textbooks and notes.

"Oh, hi ma'am." She said, standing up.

"Hi." Christina said, "I was looking for CJ."

"She left about an hour ago." Donna said, "I'm the only one here."

"What are you doing?"

"Studying. I have a Presidential History exam tomorrow and a Political Science 101 the day after. It's kind of motivating to study here."

"You take classes? But don't you already have a degree?"

"No. I'm a college dropout."

Christina started. "But you're Deputy Chief of Staff!"

"So?" Donna said coolly.

"So I thought you had a degree from somewhere."

"Did you need anything else?" Donna snapped. "I need to study to get that degree." Her eyes widened as she remembered who she was talking to. "I'm sorry ma'am, I just—"

"No, I'm sorry." Christina said, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, it's a high position."

"I was Senior Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff." Donna said, "When the Capitol blew up, I took over for Josh while he was recovering. I acted basically as Chief of Staff for President Fryer, though we didn't have much of a staff. He was impressed by my ability to do the job and when he hired Josh as Chief of Staff, he made me deputy. But I didn't have much of a formal education so we decided it would be a good idea for me to take some classes."

"Oh." Christina said in a small voice.

"You're not the first person to do that." Donna said, "You wouldn't believe the grief I get in class."

"You do?"

"Yeah. A lot of them have the same argument as you. How can I be so high ranking? Even the teacher resents me. Then others want to be my friend because I'm so high ranking. I can help them when they graduate."

"So do you have any friends in the class?"

"No. Apart from Josh, CJ and a few others, all my friends are dead."

Christina had no idea what to say to that. Luckily Donna broke the silence.

"I'm sorry but I really have to do this. I'll let CJ know you were looking for her."

"Thank you."

"Josh?"

"CJ, I'm up here. Right ahead of you."

She was running toward him. He reached out for her and pulled her into the bathroom. But it wasn't a bathroom anymore. It was a cement coffin and he and CJ would be buried in here if they weren't cremated first. The flames licked at his body and deep within them he could see Sam screaming silently as the flames consumed him. Josh reached out his hand and it brushed Sam's as Sam fell to dust. Metal beams fell around them and Josh heard CJ scream as they landed on her. Another scream filled the hot, heavy air.

Josh jerked himself awake. The scream had been his. Heart thumping madly, he untangled himself from the sweat-drenched sheets and reached for the phone. He'd be angry, it was late, but Josh needed to know.

The phone rang once, soothing him slightly. It had all been a dream. Twice. He'd pick up and it would all be fine. Three times. It had not been a dream. Sam wasn't going to pick up.

AEM1 – Could it be Toby? You'll have to wait and see. Though I think you already know. And I don't know what's up with his kids. I really hope that they have a lot more about them this season. They have to. It was such a big storyline during season 4. And who knows? Maybe Dr. Vegas will become a hit, scoring 20 Emmys a year and a 10 season contract. (Please tell me you caught the sarcasm there)

Pendray – I'll post as often as I can. There's 6 chapters left so the rest should be up pretty soon. But everything starts on Monday, so postings will most likely be have more time between them.

Bartlegg – Nope, it didn't double-post. Thank you. Some of the next chapters get more serious so I'm glad you liked the funny in this one. I'm having fun with the quirky new characters and I'm honored that you think they're better than Wells'.

Shadowesque13 – You start on the 31st too? Same here. And naughty girl, don't be drawing during class. You must do your work. (Like I should talk, sitting in the back scribbling during the history lectures) What day in October is the premiere? I know it's late, around the 20th but I don't remember the day. Do you know?

Lexi Lyman – Since you seem so excited about the lifetime supply of bologna lollipops, have I got a treat for you! When you're reincarnated into your next life, be prepared for... ANOTHER LIFETIME SUPPLY!!! Heehee. And I guess I could blame you for the scene separation scandal if I wanted to, being my beta and all even though it was me being stupid. This could be intense if it goes to trial. Mwahahaha cough.

WhiteCamillia – Yeah, they've been pretty obvious about that plan. I mean, remember that episode this season when there was a lockdown at the White House and Toby and Will were stuck in Sam's old office? There was that part at the end when they were talking about how they needed someone to run again, someone with all these different qualities. And what is lurking at the back of the scene, in this room that's been cleaned from top to bottom seventy million times? A big "Seaborn for Senate" sign. Kind of cool, if a little clumsy, foreshadowing.

If you live in England and haven't seen this season yet, sorry if I spoiled anything for you.

Laurie Beth – You're switching universities? Good luck with the move and your new classes. You'll have to wait and see if she walks ever again I suppose.

Virgil-t-stone – I'm glad you've liked it. I'm going to try to keep you in suspense for the rest of the story. Well, except chapter 10 because then I'll be done and if you're still in suspense, I guess I didn't do a good job ending it.

Goodbye everybody!


	5. chapter 5

A/N: Yeah, this took a bit longer to update than before. I'm in band camp this week (DON'T SAY IT!!!) so I'm pretty beat. Loads of fun though. Our show is the Beatles! I'll never get Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band out of my head.

I decided to put a year to this. Both this story and My Fellow Americans take place in 2003. I needed it for chapter 6. Maybe I should have put this in chapter 6 then. Oh well, I'm letting you know now. So this is AU season 4. There's no Will and Sam is still there. Or he was before I decided to piss off legions of Sam fans.

I'm trying out a new separator in between sections. If this works I'll put it into chapters 3 and 4. Then I'll no longer be a dirty rotten liar.

Big thanks to my beta Lexi for your help with this chapter. I think it's my favorite too.

Also big thanks to Demonicamazon for letting me know that the youngest First Lady was indeed 21 years old so Christina would be the 2nd youngest. I'll be fixing that soon. Demonicamazon, I'd give you a bologna lollipop but I gave my whole supply to Lexi Lyman, so how about a bowl of chocolate pudding instead?

CHAPTER 5

Today during senior staff they were going to discuss the campaign finance bill with President Fryer. Josh couldn't believe they were going through all this again. They had settled the campaign finance problem years ago. But the people President Bartlet had appointed to the elections commission had been killed at the State of the Union and those who had replaced them had struck down the act. So it was necessary to get the restrictions back into law but Josh couldn't really see the point in discussing it because Fryer was going to agree with them. He had been the Secretary of Education so it wasn't like he was an expert in campaign finance. This should really have ended at the Chief of Staff's desk. Plus he'd been a Bartlet supporter so he'd go for it. Donna had talked at length with Bruger and discussed the wording of the bill. All they had to do was have CJ release it and it was set.

Josh sat down between CJ and David at the end of the couch. CJ leaned in toward him. "I need to talk to you after the meeting." She said.

"Good or bad?"

"Not bad."

"I could use some of that. What is it?"

CJ rolled her eyes. "That's why I said 'after the meeting.'"

"Oh."

The door opened and Fryer walked in, arguing good-naturedly with Debbie. "Aw, get out of here." He said, flashing her a grin. She returned it and walked out to her desk.

"So, what've we got today?" Fryer asked the room at large.

"We want to publicly support Senator Bruger's bill banning soft money use in campaigning."

Fryer raised an eyebrow. "Campaign finance?"

"Yes sir."

"You want to support a bill banning soft money?"

"Yes sir."

"So we're pissing on the First Amendment here today? Next order of business."

All eyes turned toward Josh whose jaw hung slack. Finally he closed it, opened it again, and said, "Sir, with all due respect..."

"With all due respect what, Josh?" Fryer asked impatiently.

"I'd like to continue on this topic."

"To ban soft money is an indirect violation of the First Amendment." Fryer said, "The White House cannot support a bill that goes against the Bill of Rights."

"Money isn't speech, sir." Josh argued. "The Supreme Court even says so."

"The public is against restrictions like that."

"Pardon me sir, but which polls have you been reading?"

CJ, Donna, Gary, and David were watching them argue with fascination, their heads moving like they were watching a tennis match. Donna figured she should probably help Josh out here. She started to raise her hand, then remembered that they didn't do that. So she cleared her throat loud enough to get them to pause.

"Excuse me sir," she said, "but I've talked to Senator Bruger several times and done a lot of research while we discussed the wording of the bill. And according to my law professor, soft money—"

Fryer held up a hand. "Excuse me Donna." He said, "You discussed the wording with the Senator?"

"Yes." She said, "But according to Professor Grady soft money is not protected under the Bill of Rights. I don't remember what lawsuit determined that though."

"You set up a meeting and negotiated without telling me?" Fryer demanded, his voice getting louder and louder, "Did you forget something Donna? Did you maybe forget to let some people know what you were doing? I'd kind of like to know what you're doing before you go and screw us all! Dammit Donna, what the hell were you thinking?"

Both Josh and David leapt to their feet but Josh spoke first. "Hey!" he shouted, forgetting his position and Fryer's, "Don't talk to her like that! I'm the one who told her to do it!"

"And why did you do that?" Fryer asked. He was no longer shouting but his voice was a deadly whisper.

"Our job approval was at 43 percent." Josh said, "We needed to get out there and get involved with something. So we decided to do this. I assumed you agreed with us, which apparently was wrong."

"No kidding." Fryer said, "You assumed that because President Bartlet was for reform I was."

"Yes sir."

"Josh, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not President Bartlet. I don't agree with everything he agreed with. I have my opinions on how to govern. We're different men."

"Yeah, he knew what he was doing."

"GET OUT! Get the hell out of this office Josh!"

The others watched, shell-shocked, as Josh strode over to the door and wrenched it open, walking out with his head high. Charlie and Debbie stared as he passed them, slamming the door on the way out. Fryer turned to the rest of his staff."

"Anything else?" he asked.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Josh didn't stop until he was in the main lobby standing in front of the portrait of Josiah Bartlet. Josh's hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed up into the face of the man who had been his father-figure for the past few years.

Why did this have to happen? And if it had to happen, why to this President? Was it because he had concealed his MS? Was this some big, cosmic punishment?

"I miss you sir." Josh whispered. The receptionist was giving him strange looks.

He was so deep in thought that when a hand clamped down on his shoulder he leapt into the air.

"Relax, it's me." CJ said. Even sitting in her chair she came up to his shoulder.

"I shouldn't have done that." Josh said. He turned to CJ's warm, concerned face. "I know that. I've done a lot of stupid things while we've been here but I've never insulted the President. Yelled at him, yes. But I've never said anything like that. And I've never been thrown out."

CJ didn't say anything. He'd always loved that about her. As scary and intimidating as she could be, she was a great listener. He thought back to that day so long ago when he'd gotten that card and she'd listened so patiently to his ranting about smallpox.

"But he shouldn't've yelled at Donna. I don't care if he is the President, if he ever does that again..."

She nodded. "Come with me." She said.

He followed her to her office. "Oh yeah, you wanted to talk to me."

"Yeah." She opened her desk and pulled out three plane tickets. "You're bringing me to the Bahamas?" Josh guessed.

She didn't laugh. For something good she looked really somber. "I bought these the other day." She said, "Me, you, and Donna. Leave Saturday. Come home Sunday." She looked him in the face. "Josh, I'll understand if you don't want to go but I thought you probably would."

He looked at the tickets lying in front of him. Round-trip coach tickets from Washington DC to Orange County, California.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gary was at his desk, struggling though another speech. He must be having an off week because no matter what he did he couldn't get the words to flow. He wrote this one by hand, hoping the contact of his brain to his hand to his paper would help.

He watched through his office window as CJ and Josh went into CJ's office. That had been crazy earlier. After President Fryer had thrown Josh out, they'd moved on with the meeting, Fryer speaking with forced calm. They only continued for another five minutes. Donna didn't talk at all. She looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Gary could see his deputy itching to comfort her. David had a crush on her. Anyone could see it.

After they were curtly dismissed CJ had gone off to look for Josh. David had finally put a hesitant hand on Donna's shoulder and walked her to her office. Gary knew that he couldn't yell like Josh had but he seethed even now thinking about how Fryer had gone off on her. She was a smart, witty addition to the conversation. Now she'd probably be too terrified to say anything around Fryer. That was a shame because she was just starting to act like she knew she was equal to everyone around her, worthy of senior staff.

With a sigh he turned back to his paper. He had that feeling he was being watched again. It was stronger than it had been. So were the grumpy vibes.

Ten minutes later the door opened. "Gary?" Ginger said.

"Yeah?"

"There's a package for you."

He followed her out and took the box. It was full of the printer paper he had asked for. He thanked her and took the package into his office, opening it as he walked.

There was someone in there. Gary yelled and dropped the paper. The man leaning over his desk looked up at him and scowled.

"This is the biggest piece of crap I've ever read." He said, "You should just burn this now."

His terror was buried by anger. "I've spent two days on that!" he argued.

"Two days?" the stranger repeated, scratching his balding head. "If this took you two days it'll be six months before you write anything half-decent."

"Who the hell do you think you are, insulting me like that?"

The man rolled his eyes. "When is this speech?"

"Next Tuesday."

"Six days. Hand me a pen."

Stunned, Gary handed him the pen he had in his shirt pocket. The man took it and started in on the paper. He scratched out whole paragraphs, muttering the whole time.

"This should be 'effects'...Comma there, not there...Would an occasional period kill you? Honest to God, you're worse than Sam..."

He continued scribbling and muttering for some time. Gary watched, not sure exactly what was going on or what he should do. His eyes darted toward Ginger who was at her desk, oblivious to what was happening.

"There." The stranger said. He straightened up and turned to Gary. "How did you get this job?"

"I'm just having an off week."

The stranger snorted. "No kidding." He said, handing Gary the stack of papers. "Type that up. Use my corrections."

"Th-thanks."

The stranger nodded and walked out of the office. Gary watched him approach Ginger's desk. He stood behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She froze, fingers still on the computer keys. Then, as Gary watched, the man vanished and Ginger's head slipped down into her arms. Her back shook with sobs.

Gary hurried out to her desk. "Ginger?" he said.

She looked up, mortified. "I'm sorry." She said, wiping her face hurriedly.

"What is it?"

"For a second..." She faltered and smiled sheepishly. "For a second I thought Toby was here."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shadowesque13 – Shame on you. Pay attention in class. (says the hypocrite. Heehee). October 20th? Can't wait. I shall be counting down the days. I just hope this season's better than last. And with the reporters not wanting the story, I figured they'd be a little teed off that it was being thrust on them like that. I don't know, maybe they're just overly sensitive reporters.

Lexi Lyman – Yes, it still works but I was already laughing at the dirty rotten liar thing. Gotta love the monument. Have fun at school on Monday. Bwahahaha.

WhiteCamillia – The big thing? I don't know. I've read some spoilers that I won't reveal here but I think there's definitely going to be more with the new little love triangle of Josh, Donna, and the hot photographer. (Did I ever mention that I was excited for weeks that Jason Isaacs would be guest starring. He is the coolest. I literally danced when he was cast in Harry Potter too.) I'm hoping Sam will come back to run for president. I think a main character is probably going to kick the bucket. Maybe Leo. Yeah, I don't know. What do you think?

Bartlegg – Thanks. I had some trouble writing the dream sequence but I think it came out all right.

Demonicamazon – You learn something new everyday. Thanks. But I have to ask, how old was Grover Cleveland?

Laurie Beth – Oh no, I hope your shoulder is better now. Yeah, only another 6 chapters. But I will come back to West Wing fan fiction in a little while. I've got a few ideas rolling around that big old empty space I call my head. Good luck at your new school.

AEM1 – Those Law and Order reruns pissed me off to no end. Nothing like looking forward to a good old West Wing, turning on the TV, and having Law and Order. Grr....

Okay, I'm done. And watch this happen: "And the Oscar goes to....Dr. Vegas, the Movie!"

Queen C – Welcome to the fandom! According to Shadowesque13, the new season starts on October 30. It may be the last season though. Sad but there's always the reruns and DVD collections. Do you watch the reruns on Bravo? I highly recommend the second season episodes. That was the best season.

See you all later!


	6. chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The California sun blazed down on Josh, CJ, and Donna as they made their way down the rich, suburban streets toward Evergreen Cemetery. Since they weren't on government business and were only staying a night, they didn't have a car. Donna pushed CJ's wheelchair down the sidewalk. Josh looked around at the mansions all around them. His family was pretty wealthy but they were old New England wealth like the Bartlets. This place where Sam had grown up was all modern glamour.

They had gone to visit Sam's mother after they got off the plane. She'd been glad to see them, especially Josh whom she'd known for over fifteen years. They'd all sat and talked for an hour or so. Mrs. Seaborn had invited them to stay for the night. At first Josh had refused but then CJ reminded him that they hadn't made hotel reservations so they accepted. CJ thought this was amazingly generous of a woman who had only met CJ and Donna once at the memorial service a few months back.

The cemetery was about a mile away from her house. She'd offered them a ride but they refused. After the long plane ride Josh and Donna wanted to stretch their legs. CJ had said nothing about this but she looked sad. On their way down they'd stopped at a grocery store and bought some flowers. None of them had any idea what kind of flower, if any, Sam liked so Donna picked out a tasteful little bouquet of carnations.

The cemetery was enormous. Sam's mother had given them directions to his stone but it still took them twenty minutes to find. The fact that Josh was leading the quest didn't help matters. Finally they reached a medium sized white marble stone with a Celtic cross carved above the inscription.

Samuel Norman Seaborn

1965-2003

Loving Son, Loyal Friend, Brilliant Scribe

Donna set the flowers down beside a toy boat. The tears in her eyes blurred the inscription. CJ had a hand over her face as she wept silently. Josh was trying not to cry. He was supposed to be tough. He knew it was a sexist thought but he was the man here. Then Donna turned to him. Her eyes were full of sorrow but there was also concern there. Concern for Josh. It's all right, she was saying silently. You can cry. We won't judge you.

That was all it took. He broke down, groping blindly for her. She caught him and pulled him close, holding him as he sobbed against her shoulder. He'd told himself the whole flight that he wouldn't do this. He would be strong for them. But now he was the most vulnerable and it didn't matter. His brain was crowded with memories of Sam. Meeting him on that double-date. Sam and Lisa, Josh and some girl named Erin. Erin and Laurie were in a class together, Josh and Erin interned together. Erin had needed a date and asked Josh. All the relationships from that night had faded except for his and Sam's newfound friendship. Bringing Sam onto the Bartlet campaign. Those years working together. That last night at the State of the Union when Sam had slipped him his seat number. What would Josh have done if he'd known it would be the last time he saw his best friend?

He felt CJ's arms around him too. He was practically on her lap. That was too humiliating. He took deep breaths and forced himself to stop. It was an impossible task. All he wanted was Sam. He wanted his friend back. What was so special about Josh that he had to survive?

It was starting to get dark. "We should go back soon." Donna said, her voice shaky.

The other two agreed but they knew they couldn't face Sam's mother looking like this. They sat in front of his grave for a few more minutes. CJ had some tissues in her bag which they used to clean themselves up the best they could. Finally they got up and walked silently toward the gates.

Mrs. Seaborn had made cocoa. CJ wanted to hug the woman. She sat with them while they drank it, keeping a close eye on Josh. His hands shook as he held his mug.

"I was trying to figure out where to put you all." Mrs. Seaborn said, "I have a couple guest rooms but they're both a mess. If you want, you girls can take my room and I'll take the pull-out couch."

"Absolutely not." Said CJ, wide-eyed, "We've put you out enough, ma'am. We'll take the couch."

Mrs. Seaborn argued but CJ and Donna insisted. Finally she relented and turned to Josh. "Dear, if you want to..."

Josh knew what she meant. If he wanted to he could spend the night in Sam's room. He nodded.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night Josh sat alone on the bed Sam had slept until he was nineteen. The room was large with posters and photographs on the walls. The posters were from classic movies and Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Among the many framed photos were Sam's high school graduation, his law school graduation, him and his mother when he was about seven, several children who had to be cousins, and Sam and Josh. Josh was surprised to see that picture. He and Sam had met after Sam had moved out of his parents' house. But then he remembered. Mrs. Seaborn had taken that picture in 1988 when Josh had come to their Fourth of July party. She must've hung it there.

He got up and studied the picture more closely. Josh and Sam sat by the pool, Sam in swim trunks, Josh in shorts and a concert tee-shirt. They were sitting on the edge of a lounge chair. Sam hammed it up for the camera as Josh laughed.

They had been twenty-three and twenty-six when that picture was taken. Sam had looked exactly the same on the night he died. Josh knew he didn't. There were more lines on his face now and the ones that had been there were more deeply etched. He looked wearier now. He _was_ wearier now. Even before the explosion, though that had definitely speeded up the process. He wondered how Sam had looked so young. Did he have some kind of Dorian Gray deal going on?

Josh laughed at himself. If he was thinking like that, it was seriously time to get some sleep. But being in Sam's room, surrounded by his things, made Josh feel closer to him and he didn't want to give that up just yet.

Besides the bed, the room contained a dresser, a bookshelf overflowing with books, a desk (immaculate, of course) and a closet. Josh looked in the closet briefly, then closed the door knowing that Sam would be mortified that Josh had seen his 80s high school wardrobe. Then he went to the bookshelf and ran his finger along the rows of books. He laughed again when he found the complete works of Oscar Wilde among them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After she got the girls settled in the living room, Mrs. Seaborn went to make sure Josh was all right. She went up to the room that's permanent emptiness she'd finally come to terms with, and knocked. When Josh didn't answer, she opened it a crack and peered in.

He jolted up as the door creaked. "I'm sorry." She whispered, "I was just checking to see if you were alright."

"Yes." He said, "Thank you so much for letting us stay. I wasn't looking forward to a hotel, but you didn't have to do this."

She smiled and edged into the room. "It's not a problem." She said, "I just wish you'd come more often."

"Me too. But we've been really busy."

"Of course, rebuilding everything. It must be crazy."

"Yeah."

"I'm proud of you, Josh." She said. He looked up at her with surprise. She smiled. "You were always my favorite of those new college friends Sam brought home. You've come a long way. White House Chief of Staff."

He didn't know what to say. "I miss my son every day." Mrs. Seaborn continued. "Everything reminds me of him. I can't watch the news without breaking down. But as much as it hurts, I remember that he was doing what he loved. He was trying to save the world."

Her voice caught. "You've been given that opportunity." She said, "Please, try to do it for him."

Josh nodded. His throat felt like there was a rock lodged in it. Mrs. Seaborn wiped her eyes, then leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head as if he were a little boy and not one of the most powerful men in the world.

TBC...

A/N: Semi-amusing story. I wrote chapter 5 through the end while I was on vacation. I collect postcards of vintage bands, movie scenes, and actors. HMV used to sell them but the store near my house shut down. Luckily a drugstore near where I was staying sold them so I spent a lot of time there. I was looking through them and among the Beatles, Ghostbusters, Gomez Addamses, and Stings, I found a picture of 1980 something Rob Lowe. Though I wrote the description of the photo Josh was looking at the night before I bought the card, it serves as a nice little prop. Yeah, just thought that was cool. I'll get back to writing now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

WhiteCamillia – Yeah, Jason Isaacs was Lucius Malfoy. Just the coolest. And I think the spoilers were on the West Wing episode guide. At least some of them. I think what I did was type in something like "West Wing spoilers" on Google and see what I got. Try it.

Lexi Lyman – You know, I meant Lisa when I wrote Laurie. Guess that name would change just a bit. And by the way, noos etadpu.

Demonicamazon – Okay, I was thinking he was in his 60s or something. That would just a be a little gross. When you say someone returning, do you mean a writer or a cast member?

Bartlegg – Yeah, it's a shame we can't use little symbols anymore. I wonder why. And I think that was my favorite chapter too. I was pretty well rested and ready to write when I did that one.

Laurie Beth – I was trying to make Fryer a little more human with that scene. You're right, he did need some taking down a bit. Glad you liked it.

Virgil-t-stone – Josh has got to be one of the best characters on TV right now. He's just got so many facets to him. He's so fun to write.

Shadowesque13 – I never saw it coming either. I had the whole story outlined and ready to write, then when I started chapter 5 I thought, "I should have them go to California." So I mushed chapters 3 and 4 together and made the trip its own chapter. Hence, this one. And I got lucky. My school play tryouts were on the same night as Abu El Banat so I missed it. I'll probably watch it though, when _Season 5 comes on this week!_


	7. chapter 7

Apologies to my beta reader Lexi for posting before your response. But I really needed to get this up here. If you noticed anything, let me know and I'll repost.

Wow, I've been bad about updating. Sorry everybody. I've got some excuses.

School started. But luckily I have a study for now and can write during school. Happy!

Versipellis is a lazy bum.

Yeah, I think number 2 is the best answer there. Anyway, I felt so bad that I'm starting typing this at 7:30 on a weekday night. That's right; I'm missing the West Wing. Don't you feel loved? But I refuse to miss tomorrow. I want to see Josh yell at the Capitol Building.

Anyway, here's the chapter.

CHAPTER 7

Brandy was like a hyperactive hamster, Fiona decided as she watched her roommate bound up the street toward the White House. Brandy was staying with Fiona for the long weekend and they were going on the White House tour today. Though Fiona really didn't give a rat's ass about the building's history and architecture, she was hoping maybe to see CJ while they were there.

Half an hour later Fiona's mind was drifting as the tour guide explained what was so fascinating about yet another staircase. Brandy listened intently next to her. Both were jerked back to reality by a voice calling Fiona's name.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Josh felt like shit. Ever since they'd gotten back from California he'd been having nightmares. He'd be sitting at his desk and Sam would come in, all mangled and bloody. Sam wouldn't speak; he'd just stand over Josh, staring accusingly. Then Josh would hear his voice inside his head. "You should've died." He'd say, "Not me." Josh knew that the real Sam wouldn't have said anything like that but that didn't make the words any less painful. Last night Josh had decided that he just wouldn't sleep. It was a pretty good plan except for the fact that he was now sleep-deprived and had a caffeine headache.

He had spoken with President Fryer and apologized for his behavior. He felt sorry about insulting the man, but not for yelling. Fryer didn't know that though. He'd accepted the apology but things were still pretty cool between them.

He walked down the stairs and passed a tour group. Then he backtracked. Was that...?

"Fiona?" he called into the group.

The whole group turned around. Fiona's eyes lit up in recognition. The girl next to her's jaw dropped.

"What are you doing here?" Josh asked.

"I'm here for the summer." Fiona replied. "This is my roommate Brandy. Brandy, this is Josh Lyman."

She really didn't need to tell Brandy who he was. Brandy followed politicians like movie stars and Josh was her James Dean. Fiona suppressed a smirk as Brandy almost fell over herself, shaking Josh's hand.

The tour guide hesitantly cleared her throat. "Sorry." Josh said, "I'm just going to take these two."

The group continued to the next staircase. "Come up to my office." Josh said.

Fiona nudged Brandy along as they crossed into the west wing. She was a little worried that her roommate might faint. They got to Josh's office and sat down. He sat behind his desk, elbow on the top and chin on his fist. Now that she was looking at him carefully, Fiona thought he looked a lot worse than he had last time she saw him. Obviously he wasn't clinging to life under hundreds of pounds of rubble but he had dark circles under his eyes and a dazed look about him.

"So," he said, "What's happening? What brings you down here?"

"I'm interning at the Washington Post." Fiona said, "Brandy came down to stay with me for the weekend so we decided to take the tour."

"Did you like it?"

"Loved it." Fiona lied.

Josh gave her his famous smirk. "How?"

Brandy was still goggling at Josh. He smiled at her. "First time in Washington?" he asked.

"Y-yeah."

"Did you go to all the monuments?"

"N-no. I just got here y-yesterday."

"And you're staying until when?"

"Tuesday."

"Hmm." He frowned at Fiona. "Do you still write for your school's paper?"

"Yes. They call me the White House correspondent."

Josh laughed. "The President is giving a speech on Tuesday morning for the ACLU. I have a few extra tickets if you'd like to come."

Brandy managed to wait until they were in a cab home to faint.

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Willa sighed. She really hated that Donna woman. She acted like she was_ soooooo _cool, being Deputy Chief of Staff. Well, Willa knew that she had never been Sister of the Year in any sororities. Willa had been for all her years at college. So there!

She knew that Donna used to have this job. Mr. Lyman always talked about her, telling Willa how she had done everything and telling little boring anecdotes that he seemed to find hysterical. But Willa knew she was a better assistant. She brought him coffee, called him "Mr. Lyman" and never talked back. He liked her better, she was certain of it.

Maybe she could get him to fire Donna. It wasn't like he needed a deputy. Not with the whole staff working for him. Yeah, she'd make him choose between Willa, his ever-present, hardworking, good-tempered assistant, and Donna, his snarky, sarcastic deputy who didn't do anything but bitch at Willa all day. Yeah, Donna was going down!

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These were good seats. Fiona and Brandy sat down at a table a few feet from the podium with Josh, CJ, and a few other members of the White House staff. The man sitting on CJ's other side caught Fiona's eye. He didn't look much older than her and he had a geeky sort of charm. When Josh and CJ introduced them all, she found out his name was David Calloway. He sort of ducked his head at her and she felt a blush inching up her face. Normally Brandy would have giggled and teased her relentlessly all night but she was too busy staring awestruck at everything around her, especially Josh.

The speech lasted about fifteen minutes. Fiona didn't understand a lot of what was said but the others nodded approvingly, even Brandy. When it was over Josh shook his head in amazement.

"Is it just me," he whispered to CJ, "or did that sound like something Toby would write?"

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There was a reception afterward with breakfast food on long tables. One basket was full of corn and blueberry muffins. Fiona was reaching for the last corn muffin when somebody took it.

It was David Calloway. "I'm sorry," he said, holding it out, "You were going for this, weren't you?"

"You can have it."

"No, no, I'll have a blueberry."

"If you're sure..."

"I am." He picked up a blueberry muffin and took a giant bite. "My favorite."

She smiled and took a small bite of hers. He scooped some home fries onto a plate and they sat down.

The conversation turned toward education. David, being a former teacher, had a lot of input. Fiona turned to agree with him about teacher strikes and stared in horror.

"What happened to your face?"

David's face and neck were covered in hives. "I'm allergic to fruit." He admitted.

"Why'd you eat it then?" Gary demanded.

"I didn't want to take the last corn muffin. Is my throat swelling?"

"I'll bring you to the hospital." Fiona said, "Brandy, can you get a cab to the airport?"

"I'll bring her." Josh offered. Brandy choked on her food.

"I'm so sorry," Fiona said to David, "It's my fault."

"No, it's because my deputy's an idiot." Gary grumbled.

Josh and CJ exchanged looks. Fiona stood up and David, wheezing, followed her out the door.

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Yeah, a long wait for a not-so-great chapter. Sorry about that. I'll try to get the next one up quicker. Only three more left!

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Queen C – WHAT DO YOU MEAN ANGEL'S BEEN CANCELLED???? Aw man! Anyway, I'm not positive that it's the last season but there's a very very good chance that it is. I know I'm probably going to be stoned to death for saying this, but that might not necessarily be a horribly bad thing. I absolutely love this show and will be heartbroken when it's no longer on, but without Sorkin there's no way to recreate the first few seasons. Shadow of Two Gunmen; Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail, Noel. There's just no returning to that. There's still potential for some great things to happen (Get Sam back here and hook up Josh and Donna already!) but I don't think they could ever surpass the second season. I'm sorry you came in so late though. That really sucks.

Sarah H. – Good tears or bad? : ) Thank you very much. I'll do my best. I'm going to glow for the rest of the day for having my work called "amazing".

Lexi Lyman – Man, I took nearly as long as you to update. Yeah, I guess I forgot to change the name the second time. I'll have to fix that. (You notice how I say I'll do these things and never get around to it? I'm kind of like that in my home life too. Yeah, I'll get around to that math homework...)

Bartlegg – You're right, this season wasn't the best but it is fun to watch them again. I'm not looking forward to that one with Hoynes though. As much as I love CJ and wish she were my aunt (or best friend, either works) the thought of her and Hoynes, ewwww.

Demonicamazon – I couldn't get to the link you gave me so I went on Google and I think I found it. John Goodman's coming back? Cool. I wasn't all that fond of his character at the beginning of the season but that episode when they go to the dead President's funeral and he comes in with his dog, I dunno, that scene at least kind of grew on me. And I'm glad you liked the chapter. : )

Shadowesque13 – I loved designing his room. I was in a room in the place we were staying when I wrote this chapter and I kind of used that and pictured what Sam would have on the walls there. I figure living in Orange County his room was probably much bigger and nicer than the one I was in but oh well. And what you said about CJ telling them, I didn't incorporate that into any of the chapters but I may have to do that in chapter 8. I dunno, I just assumed that she already told them but I probably should have something in there, shouldn't I?

Laurie Beth – That one was your favorite? Thanks. (smiles goofily) I really have to add in more to the subplot about CJ. Hmm......

WhiteCamillia – If this was a real episode that would mean they killed off Sam. I would be writing in scary, threatening letters to bring him back instead of writing fan fiction. I think Josh is one of the best characters I've ever seen in anything. He's just so complex. Not to mention that fact that Bradley Whitford is an incredible actor. Sorry about taking so long to update. I promise the next one will be sooner.

Kursk – J/D isn't going to be a central point to this story, but who am I to argue with canon? There will be a mention of it later, though none of the story line will focus on it. I'm glad you liked the chapter and thank you.


	8. chapter 8

Well, we're almost to the end. I'm sorry I've been so crappy about updating lately but I've had limited time to do this and blah blah blah (goes on listing excuses). So put up with with me and my lazy ways for another two chapters. I've had a lot of fun with this story and these characters, but it's time to move on in the next direction of my fanfiction writing career: X-rated Care Bear slash!!!!!!

When you're done vomiting, here's the next chapter.

CHAPTER 8

Josh pulled a beer out of CJ's mini-fridge and stretched out on her office couch.

"You'd think the Chief of Staff would have some work to do." CJ grumbled, but she too took out a bottle.

"For once, not at nine o' clock at night. Donna's working on that thing right now so I'm all set."

"Yeah, I have to brief on that later. Nothing like late night press briefings. I'm going to have to find a way to throw out that Bruger thing. That blew up in our faces."

Josh's face hardened for a moment. "Donna was just doing what I told her to." He said.

"I know." CJ replied quickly, "But at least he apologized to her."

"Yeah." Josh took a swig of beer and they were quiet for a second. Then he said suddenly, "I remember what happened."

"What?"

"The-the explosion. I'm starting to remember things about it."

CJ didn't speak. "Do you have nightmares at all?" he asked her.

"Sometimes." She admitted.

"I've been having them. I dream about Sam a lot. He had to be scared. They sat there in the dark for a while. I wonder what he was thinking."

He took a bigger swallow. "I had nightmares every night for a week after we got back from California. Then I tried staying awake. That lasted about a night and a half. Then they went away for a few nights and came back. I dream that he-he blames me. That he thinks I should have died."

"He would never say that." CJ said more firmly than necessary.

"I know. But they don't stop. So I've tried not sleeping again. It's been two days now, almost three."

"You haven't slept in two nights?"

"Nope."

"You're aware that Donna will kill you when she finds out?"

"She won't find out."

"If I don't tell her."

Josh gave her a horrified look. "You wouldn't!"

CJ shrugged, taking another sip. "How long do you think you can do this?" she asked.

He shrugged. "A while. Coffee and caffeine pills work wonders."

"Have you talked to Stanley?"

"Have you?" he shot back.

"Why would I talk to him?"

"Have you gone to a psychiatrist?"

"No. But I'm not the one with PTSD."

"Ceej, I'm okay. I can handle this."

He yawned. "So what did you think of that fiasco last week?"

CJ laughed. "That poor girl. I don't think she's ever going to stop apologizing."

"And David. He was a mess."

Yeah. Why'd he eat that? I mean, being polite is one thing, going to the emergency room for it is a whole other."

"I think he likes her."

"She's nineteen years old, Josh."

"So?" Josh said.

"He likes Donna."

"What?! No he doesn't."

"Alright. Whatever you say."

"You don't say that often enough."

She glared at him and he smiled innocently. Rolling her eyes, CJ went back to her desk.

"Fiona's friend, she was completely nuts about you. Poor girl. But there's hope for her yet."

She waited for his comeback. When it didn't come, she looked up. He was asleep, his bottle tipping dangerously in his hand. She wheeled over and took it out of his hand. Setting it on her desk, she thought about what Josh had said about Sam being scared. As though a movie were playing in her head she could see what might have happened. The lights went out. There would be a lot of worried muttering; maybe the children would start crying. Sam would figure out that it was more than a power outage. He would try to figure out what he could do and realize that there was nothing. Then there would be the waiting...

A tear snaked down her face. She wiped it away hurriedly. "Spanky," she said, her hands clasped as though praying, "Sam, I know you're busy tormenting Toby up there in Heaven but please, look after Josh. He needs you right now."

She glanced at her watch. She should probably go get what she needed from Donna and get the briefing over with so she could release the press corps.

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"CJ, a spokesperson for Senator Bruger said that the White House actually wrote the wording of the bill with him. Why would you do that if you were not planning to fully support the measure?"

"Well, Katie," CJ said, kicking impatiently at her podium, "There was some miscommunication about the amount of support the bill was to be given. You see—"

She froze. Had she just been moving her leg? Not breathing, she tried again. Her foot swung out and knocked her notes off the podium. She was unable to stop the grin that spread across her face at the moment.

"Um, CJ?"

Katie was waiting for an answer to her question. CJ rattled off her prepared lines, not really focusing on the words she said. All she could concentrate on was getting back to her office and trying, just one more time, to get out of this prison.

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CJ wheeled back into her office. When she got to the doorway she pushed herself into a standing position, then let go of the chair. She stayed upright for a second, then fell back down. But this time, instead of being miserable, she was elated. She was going to walk again!

Josh muttered something and turned over. CJ had forgotten about him. And now she realized that she had never told him what her doctor had said. She felt a split second of guilt about that, then realized that it was probably for the best. He had enough stress right now without taking on CJ's.

She decided to leave him there for the night. He would be mad in the morning, but it was better than him staying awake again. Hurriedly, she scrawled a note to him. She was halfway done when he spoke.

"Sam?"

CJ froze. Then she put down her pen and looked over. Fear was etched across Josh's face, his closed eyes scrunched tight. She wasn't sure what she should do.

"Sam." He mumbled again, "Buddy, you have to help me."

CJ reached over to shake him awake. "CJ's after me." He said, "I don't know what I did. Hide me."

CJ stopped, dumbfounded. Then she laughed softly. "Thanks Sam."

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I wanted to get this up as soon as I got it back from Lexi, so sorry, no responses today. I'll try to respond to reviews for both last chapter and this one in chapter 9. Sorry this took so long. Hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner.

Bye!


	9. chapter 9

Apologies to Lexi for posting these without sending it to you. My email is being a jerk and freezing when I try to send stuff. Again, if you notice anything off, let me know. I may not do anything about it but yeah. ï

Thank you everybody for your wonderful support of my next fanfiction path. I'll be sure to have this Care Bears story up as soon as possible. (I'm getting nauseous too just thinking about it)

Technically, this is the last chapter of the story. Chapter 10 is more of an epilogue. So I'm hoping that I wrapped up most of the loose ends in this chapter. If I forgot anything, keep your trap shut, I don't want to hear it! Heehee. I'm posting chapter 10 today too. It's a pretty quick one and I'm hoping it's a decent ending for the story.

Alright, enough of my babbling, on to the story!

CHAPTER 9

"Hey, CJ!"

Josh jogged along the hall to catch up with her. "September twenty-third, keep your calendar clear." He said.

"Why?"

"Big block of cheese day."

He walked off, whistling buoyantly as CJ stared after him.

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"Well, Patrick, welcome aboard."

Donna reached across her desk and shook hands with the new Senior Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff. He smiled nervously. They had been talking for a little over an hour now and Donna could tell he was perfect for the job. He was quiet, patient, and well-educated. Pretty much her complete opposite. She had shared some of her experiences on the job, telling him about some of the nightmare assignments Josh had sent her on. That started him silently wondering what was in store for him.

Donna brought him on a tour of the west wing. When they stopped by Gary's office, he and David were in there. Donna was a little hesitant as she introduced everybody. She knew that David had liked her. How would he react to Patrick? But he just held out his hand, distractedly saying, "Nice to meet you" as he scanned what he had just written.

Next they went to Josh's office. He gave Patrick a once-over, then beckoned him behind the desk. Donna watched curiously as Josh put an arm around Patrick's shoulder and whispered something to him.

"So what did he say to you?" she asked as the two of them walked out. Willa was on the phone and she shot them both a dirty look as they passed.

"He said, 'Don't bring her coffee.' I have no idea what he meant by that."

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"Yeah, Charlene, I see what you mean. No, no it's not Billy. It's just—"

Willa paused as that Donna woman and her new boy-toy assistant passed her desk. Donna was talking loud enough to completely drown out what Charlene was saying. Willa glared at them and Donna shot her a look right back. Then she turned and left with her nose in the air.

Willa really hated her now. That was it. She couldn't take this anymore. Willa was as important to this group as any of them. Mr. Lyman would have to choose right now.

"Listen Char, I gotta go. Kisses."

She hung up and went over to the open door. "Mr. Lyman," she said sharply, "I need to talk to you."

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Charlie read the letter silently. Debbie watched the smile slide across his face. "What?" she asked.

"Listen to this: 'Dear Mr. Young, You have been selected by a majority vote of the Capitol Restoration and Memorial Committee to be a part of the panel of judges who will choose the design of the memorial to be erected and dedicated to those who were killed. If you accept the position, contact us at our headquarters and we will begin sending you designs. Yours sincerely,' a whole bunch of names."

"So you get to choose the design?"

"Me and some other people."

Debbie thought for a second. "Pick one with a waterfall." She said, "Waterfalls are nice."

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The staff was gathered in the Oval Office. Though the fight had been weeks ago, Donna didn't say anything. She watched and nodded as the others discussed their plans for the next few months. Fryer had decided not to run for re-election so everything they wanted to do had to be done soon. A few of Fryer's ideas were not met with much enthusiasm from the staff and vice versa, but this time nobody wound up screaming at anyone else over them.

"So Donna," Fryer said after they were finished discussing business. "I heard you got your final grades."

"Yes sir." She said quickly, ducking her head.

"Tell him what you got." Gary said.

Donna looked up and smiled. "A in Presidential History, B-plus in American History 101, A in Political Science—"

"So As and Bs in everything?" Fryer asked.

"Yes sir."

Fryer shook his head, grinning. "I should damn well think so." He said, "Such a great politician, I wouldn't expect anything less."

Donna blushed. "I think about that night and I don't know what I would've done without you, Donna. You're an invaluable part of this team and I'm sorry for anything I did to make you feel less than that."

They all sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Then Josh said, "Maybe the great politician can tell me what the hell I'm going to do now that I don't have an assistant."

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WhiteCamillia – Thanks much. And what you said in your review of chapter 7, yes Bradley Whitford won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for the second season. Not a surprise because he's absolutely amazing in it. And I think what they're doing is jumping a lot in time. Like that episode in the second season that went through about 3 months. I'm guessing they'll do something like that.

Queen C – You're not alone. I think the idea came to me in a nightmare.

Laurie Beth – Sorry about the bad images. I'd try to blame someone else for them but the blame lies with me and my warped imagination. Bad me.

Kursk – You'll see in about thirty seconds if you read the epilogue.


	10. chapter 10 END

This is it. The last chapter of the My Fellow Americans story. Thank you so so so much to everybody who read this and reviewed. I love you all so much and as a parting gift, BOLOGNA LOLLIPOPS FOR EVERYONE!!!

And yes, the memorial was inspired by the new WWII memorial. I have yet to see it but my mom saw it and showed me pictures. (She also got me a West Wing tee-shirt which is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Hehe)

Alright, here goes.

CHAPTER 10

April twenty-first, 2015, was a beautiful sunny day with only a faint breeze. Hundreds of people crowded into the streets of Washington DC for the opening of the State of the Union memorial. The memorial consisted of a pool surrounded by a cement patio from which two waterfalls flowed into the crystal water. Flowers grew around the pool's edge. Small trees sat in the corners and benches were placed in their shade. Lining the outer rim of the patio were 6 stone walls. Two on each side and one on the ends. The name and photograph of each person that was killed that night were carved and encased into the marble. The path led between the walls and connected to the sidewalk in front of the Mall. A stage and podium had been set up on the Mall. The President would be making a short speech before dedicating the memorial, and so would several others.

'Sam!" Donna called, "Sam, where are you?"

"Over here!" her son called from beside the stage.

"Samuel Seaborn Lyman! Get away from there right now!"

"Yes, Mom," the seven-year-old grumbled, ducking into the crowd and reappearing at her shoulder.

"You were supposed to stay with your father. Where is he?"

"He and Toby are over with Aunt CJ."

Clutching Sam's hand, Donna dragged him over to where CJ and Josh stood. CJ leaned heavily on a cane, but after years of physical therapy and surgery, she was able to walk again. Four-year-old Tobias Ziegler Lyman was sitting in the grass next to them, poking at a worm.

A little while later they were seated in the first row next to David Calloway and Fiona Jeremies. An engagement ring shone on Fi's finger. Beside Fiona was Senatorial candidate Christina Fryer and her husband. Bill Fryer had died a year earlier from a heart attack. Gary Freeman was also dead, killed in a car crash three months after Fryer left office.

Several survivors spoke. One was Jenny Cauller who had been there with her father when she was three years old. Now fifteen, she stood in front of them, shaking slightly as she talked about her vague memories and the legacy her father had left behind. Next came an FBI agent named Kevin. He had been the one to call for help. Survivor's guilt had wracked him for years but with help he had finally come to terms with it and realized that it had been a good thing that he'd been where he was.

Then the White House Press Secretary stepped up to the podium. "Thank you everyone for coming today." Carol said, "The President will be here in a moment. After the official dedication, feel free to look around the memorial. The city's only request is that you don't leave anything here. No flowers or anything, at least for the time being. Oh, here he is. Ladies and gentlemen, President Charles Young."

Everybody applauded as Charlie stepped up. He was a surprisingly good public speaker as CJ had discovered working on his campaign last year. He spoke with a confidence he'd rarely displayed while working as an aide. He told about how that night had affected him personally and how it had affected them all.

"And today," he concluded, "it is my privilege to stand before you and dedicate this beautiful monument. I now declare this the State of the Union memorial. Thank you."

Josh and Donna didn't get a chance to talk to Charlie. He had to hurry back to the White House for an emergency meeting. So they took their children to go find their namesakes.

Sam found his name first. "Samuel Norman Seaborn." He read slowly. He looked up at his mother with his startlingly blue eyes.

Josh touched the picture above the inscription. Sam had been so young.

"Sam, buddy," he said, "I didn't save the world. I tried to do it for you, but I couldn't. I hope I was good enough."

"What, Daddy?" little Sam asked.

"Nothing." Josh said, "Just talking to an old friend."

They found Leo next. Then Toby. Little Toby took one look at the photograph and buried his face in his father's shoulder.

"He couldn't smile for even one picture?" CJ grumbled, looking wistfully at the picture. "I miss him so much."

President Bartlet had the biggest picture. His last words, "My Fellow Americans" were written under his name. They spent a long time lingering by his picture. Eventually the sun began to set and Sam declared that he was hungry and needed to go to the bathroom. The former staffers and Fiona all exchanged hugs and promises to stay in touch, then left. Nearly all the spectators were gone now. As Josh turned to take one last look, the shadows of the setting sun and the rustle of the wind in the trees made it seem like the dead were there, whispering their appreciation. But maybe he just imagined it.

THE END

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A/N (written in notebook 8-12-04): All right, it's done. There's definitely not going to be a sequel to this. As much as I loved writing it, it's time to retire this plot. I'm writing this in my notebook on August 12 at midnight, though I'll be typing it a long time from then. Aren't I nice, staying up late to finish this? I think that deserves a good review. wink wink, nudge nudge Anyway, thanks for the great time. I hope that this sequel met your expectations. I'm not incredibly fond of some parts, but I think on the whole it turned out well. I'll be taking a break from West Wing fan fic for a while but I'll come back. In the meantime I'll post some Harry Potter and lurk about flaming other West Wing fics. Well, actually only Lexi. Haha, I'm kidding. Her story Consequences of Losing a Democrat is awesome. If she'd only update, that is. And I'm not just saying that because she beta read this for me, for while I am eternally grateful. Okay, it's now 12:20. I'm going to sleep over my notebook. This is Versipellis, signing off and going to bed.


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